Targeted
by macrauchenia
Summary: Arthur swallowed and thrust the letter at his manservant. "Read it yourself. It's addressed to you." "Very funny," Merlin smirked as he unfolded the letter. The smile promptly dropped off of his face as he read the greeting. /Merlin./ "I guess it was for me," he mumbled as he continued reading the short note. /You've been a thorn in our side for too long./
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Targeted  
**Rating: **T  
**Timeframe/Info About This Fic: **Let's just pretend that Uther wasn't completely insane in the gap between Season 3 and 4, because this is when this crazy ole fic would happen  
**Disclaimer:** If I owned Merlin, we'd all be in trouble.  
**Authors Note: **So after writing, what, three Merlin short little drabble fics, I've decided to try a full length story. Yeah, be terrified.

* * *

Prince Arthur was more irritable than usual that day. Which meant Merlin more than noticed, since he was forced to polish the armor, feed the dogs, _and_ muck the stables.

All before breakfast.

While idly polishing an already spotless vase, Merlin decided to politely inquire as to what was bothering his superior.

"What's wrong with you? You've been acting more prattish than usual."

Arthur sent the boy a withering glare from his desk. The future king was currently pouring over various shreds of paper pieced across his desk. Instead of ignoring Merlin's sarcastic question, the prince actually answered it, much to the surprise of the manservant.

"There have been reports of hired assassins in Camelot."

"Really?" Merlin raised an eyebrow and nearly dropped the vase. He caught it before it shattered, but his ungraceful fumble earned him another glare. If he could exchange Arthur's glares for gold coins, he'd be richer than the king himself.

"Yes, but I don't know why I'm telling you this. You're clearly an idiot." Arthur returned to his notes.

Just to be safe, Merlin set the vase firmly back on the shelf. He rubbed absently at a spot on the shelf with his tunic hem before opening the conversation again. "So, who are they after?"

Arthur sighed loudly and set the document in his hands down. It was clear that he wasn't going to get anything done with Merlin's constant prattle. "We don't know," he started slowly, "but obviously they are either targeting my father or I. Why else would assassins be sent to Camelot?"

Merlin looked thoughtful. "They could be sent after me?" he offered.

There was a quick beat of silence in the room before Arthur burst into loud, obnoxious laughter. It took him a good minute to finally catch his breath, a tear of laughter trapped in the corner of his eye. "You?" he was able to gasp out.

"I've saved your life plenty of times," Merlin sniffed, looking highly offended.

"Right," Arthur rolled his eyes. He tried to force a hard expression on his face, but his wide smile still betrayed him. "Thank you, Merlin. I believe that was the best joke I've heard all week."

The manservant crossed his eyes and huffed slightly. "I wasn't joking."

"Sure you weren't," Arthur shook his head, the smile still not leaving his face, and looked back to his notes. Clearly the prince wanted the conversation over.

Subtly, or at least he hoped it was subtle, Merlin made his way over to the desk where Prince Arthur was still examining the various scraps and tip-offs. He peeked over his future king's shoulder as he pretended to straighten the curtains by the window. Several words caught Merlin's eye, but he wasn't familiar enough with the underground lingo of the Five Kingdoms to know who exactly the assassins were. Apparently though, Arthur was worried. The young warlock could tell by the way the prince's jaw clenched as he read each name, and the way his eyes darted back and forth across the list, trying to plan their next move. Merlin could only remember Arthur being this tense after an argument with his father, or before they were about to set off on a deadly and foolhardy quest. Whoever these people were, they spelt doom for the intended victims. Merlin scanned the list again, this time catching a name that he recognized.

"Hey! I know him!" The manservant all but draped himself over Arthur's shoulder as he eagerly pointed to an obscure name.

"_Merlin!" _Arthur shoved the manservant off of him. In one quick movement, Arthur drove the boy away from the table with a sweep of his arm. "What are you doing?!"

The manservant darted to the other side of the desk, careful to stay out of the reach of his prince. "I know him," Merlin repeated. He pointed at the same name again.

Arthur knocked the boy's hand away, but scrutinized the name a bit closer. "Eyog of Alder? I've never even _heard _of Alder before. Where is it?"

"Not _Alder_, but _Ealdor._ Clearly your scout couldn't spell," Merlin muttered as he looked at the names around Eyog's. None of the others looked familiar to him.

Arthur leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Really? You know one of the assassins sent to kill my father or me? I'm interested in knowing this story, _Mer_lin."

The manservant glanced up to see Arthur's cross expression. _Maybe I've said too much._ "Well, you see, Sire, I don't really _know _Eyog. I've heard stories about him while growing up, but I kind of know him since I met him once, but not really in person, you see, and is that some calling your name, Sire…?"

"Merlin_…"_

"No, I seriously think someone is calling your name. You may not hear it, since I think you're be—"

_"Merlin!"_

Luck was in the warlock's favor, saving Merlin from getting a very painful tongue lashing. Sir Leon poked his head in the open door just as Arthur was opening his mouth to yell.

"Prince Arthur? I was calling, but I'm not sure if you heard…"

Merlin shot the prince a triumphant look, and was rewarded by a sharp kick under the table. He winced, and jumped away, wary of another kick. Arthur had a straight face on the entire time. "What is it, Leon?"

"We are relatively aware of the whereabouts of most of the assassins. Only two are unaccounted for. The knights of Camelot are preparing to ride out to hunt down the known assassins."

"Very good, Leon. I knew my father and I could trust you to stop this affair."

"_Two?_" Merlin sputtered, unable to stop himself. Arthur's foot lashed out at his shin again, and Merlin was grateful he moved that extra step. "You mean there's _more_ than one assassin trying to get into Camelot?" He glanced sideways at Arthur. Things could get potentially sticky in a very short time. _What was that prat saying about me not saving his life?_

Sir Leon hesitated before answering. "By the information we've received and the calculations we've made, it would seem that there are over a dozen different hired mercenaries." Arthur's eyebrows rose dramatically; this was clearly higher than he had thought.

"I was under the impression that there were no more than half a dozen."

Leon cleared his throat. "It is very possible that we've been counting the same men twice or three times. I suggest you not worry too much, Sire. Soon the majority of the assassins will be apprehended, and they will be forced into revealing who sent them and how many there are." Leon paused again, struggling to come up with the right words to use. "In the meantime, I have doubled the guards around your father's quarters and your own bed chambers."

Instead of claiming that he was more than capable of taking care of himself, which was what Merlin was expecting the prince to do, Arthur simply nodded. "I understand. Thank you."

Deciding that was an appropriate dismissal, Sir Leon dipped his head in respect and quickly disappeared through the open door.

It only took Merlin five seconds to comment on the knight's briefing.

"Someone certainly wants you or the king dead. Maybe they're going for bo—Oaw!" Merlin ducked as a container of quill tips went flying towards his head. He popped back up, brushing down his tunic and shooting the prince a quick glare. "That wasn't very ni—Hey!" One of Arthur's ink wells collided with the wall behind the manservant, exploding in a thousand pieces. Black ink sprayed everywhere, some of the dark liquid catching Merlin in the back. He clicked his tongue disgustedly, but did not say a single word.

"Clean it up," Arthur barked, "and stay quiet."

While Merlin busied himself with clearing the black, gunky mess that Arthur had made, the future king of Camelot was staring off into space. It was a good fifteen minutes later before either of them spoke again. Merlin dumped the last of the glass shards in a random pot and had already wiped clean as much of the ink as he possibly could.

"Is there something else you require, Sire?" The manservant's voice was tired and dull all of a sudden.

It looked as if Arthur didn't hear him. The warlock shrugged and turned to leave.

"You never did say how you knew this Eyog."

Merlin paused with his back to the king. A toothy smile slipped across his face. _He was listening to me._ "It's a long story," Merlin shrugged again. "I'm kind of tired. Can this wait?"

"_Merlin._"

The boy spun back around and was suddenly standing directly across from Arthur. "Alright, back when I was living at Ealdor, there was this man named Eyog who used to live there. He had been kicked out of the village for killing another villager. It was a stupid argument, I think. Something about a pig and where it should, uh, relieve itself. Eyog thought that his pig sh—"

"_Merlin." _

"Anyway, Eyog was banished from Ealdor. This was before I was born, but everyone knew the story. About ten years later, Eyog returns, determined to 'take revenge' on those who had wronged him before. The family of the murdered farmer had already moved away, so he didn't stay long, but we all got to see how Eyog had changed." The manservant shivered. "He was scary. I wouldn't fancy meeting him in a corridor at night. My mother later told me that he became a sort of a mercenary." Merlin suddenly frowned. "It's weird though…"

"Why?" This certainly sounded like the right Eyog to Arthur. "Is there something about your Eyog that wouldn't match up with this one?" He gestured at the name on the list.

"I…just don't get what he'd be doing here in Camelot." Merlin shook his head. "It must be a different Eyog, since my mother told me that he only kills a certain rank of people."

Arthur tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Merlin shrugged nonchalantly, glancing up at the ceiling. "Eyog doesn't go after kings and princes; he only kills commoners and peasants. Apparently it's less intense to murder farmers, and he wouldn't be in danger of being exposed or found out."

Arthur frowned as well. "I'm not sure if this Eyog is the one you know then. He seems to enjoy lower risk jobs, though who would ever go through the trouble of having a commoner assassinated? There must be a small market."

"I don't know, Sire," Merlin was halfway to the door when a gaunt faced man appeared in the doorway. He was wearing a servant's uniform, but neither Arthur not Merlin recognized him. The man was trembling slightly, and his eyes seemed way too wide to be normal.

"Who the hell are you?" Arthur managed to choke out, his hand flying to his belt to pull out his sword. Merlin took a cautious step back, readying his mind for magic if it was needed.

The man didn't answer, but surveyed the room with two quick sweeps of his head. His gaze settled on Merlin for a second before passing over to Arthur. A knife suddenly jumped into his hand; the very next second, it was whizzing through the room, slicing the air between the two boys. It was a close shave, barely nicking the side of Merlin's jacket and sliding across Arthur's shoulder. This delay was all the time Arthur needed to pull out his sword. He jumped over his desk, landing neatly beside his manservant. Another knife appeared in the assassin's hand as if by magic. It spiraled through the air, screaming as it hurtled towards the boys.

"Get down!" Arthur shouted as he shoved the pale boy beside him to the ground. Merlin let out a surprised yelp as he hit the ground, the dagger implanting itself in the wall behind them. While the man fumbled for another knife, Arthur took his chance to charge the assassin. By the time the dagger was out and ready to throw again, Arthur had knocked the blade from the man's hand. It spun off and clattered as it bounced against the stone floor. Arthur forced the tip of his blade against the now defenseless assassin's neck.

"Pull out another blade, and it'll be the last thing you ever do," the prince growled.

Seeing no other option, the man gurgled something incoherent. Arthur lowered the blade slightly, confused as to what the man was trying to say. Suddenly, the assassin tipped backwards, eyes rolling in to his head, white foam leaking from his gapping mouth.

"No!" Arthur reached for the man, but it was too late. He was already dead. He cursed and kicked the cooling body.

Merlin sat up slowly from his spot on the floor. He ran a hand nervously through his hair. "One down?" he offered in a shaky voice. With a grunt, the boy climbed to his feet and walked towards his prince. "It's not your fault we lost him," he muttered, placing what was meant to be a comforting hand on Arthur's shoulder. "He knew he failed, so he killed himself." Arthur shrugged Merlin's hand off and knelt down to examine the body. Merlin looked down at his freed hand.

"Arthur! Are you hurt?" Merlin's entire palm was dyed red. He glanced at the spot on Arthur's shoulder where there was a red handprint. "I think the assassin's blade might've have hit you."

Arthur stood up, shrugged the shoulder of his shirt off and frowned. Unbroken skin was underneath the stained shirt. He glanced over to his manservant and his frown deepened.

Merlin slowly lifted a hand to his forehead and pressed against his temple. A light pain smarted where his fingers applied pressure. He lowered his hand and looked at the freshly painted fingers.

"Oh."

* * *

Gaius was called immediately. As was the king, various guards, and a very flustered Sir Leon.

"How did this man get into my son's chambers?" Uther roared. "This assassin would have succeeded if his target was anyone other than my son. It's pure luck that he's still alive."

"Now, Father. I think I co—" Arthur's annoyed objections were cut off.

"I thought you said the guards were to be doubled! Why were they not there to apprehend this criminal?"

If there was ever a time when the brave knight of Camelot was frightened for his life, this was it. A very angry Uther was more terrifying than any magical or monstrous foe Leon had ever gone up against. "I…"

"There are no excuses! I should have all of you executed for your faults. My son almost _died._"

"Father, _please._ It wasn't Sir Leon's fault. This man was disguised. With the number of servants we have that travel through this castle at once, there was no way for the guards to have known who was an imposter. Besides, I fought him off easily enough. No harm done."

"No harm done?" Instead of calming his father's raging temper, Arthur only managed to divert it to himself. However, it was highly unlikely that Uther would execute his own son. Sir Leon looked almost weak with relief that he was momentarily free from the fire. "You're bleeding."

"No, I'm not. Merlin just bled on me." He shot an unreceived glare at his manservant.

While the king was placing blame and Sir Leon looked as if he wanted to go crawl under a rock, the court physician and his apprentice were busy inspecting the body of the assassin. Hearing his name mentioned, Merlin popped up into attention. "Sorry, My Lord. Won't happen again, My Lord." Merlin bowed slightly.

Arthur rolled his eyes as Uther shook his head at the boy. The king of Camelot turned to Gaius. "I hope you're having a better time inspecting this body than curing that boy of his mental affliction." Finally seeming to grasp that the danger was over, Uther smiled faintly. "I fear his injury may have further damaged him. Keep your ramblings to yourself, boy."

Merlin wasn't sure if he was going to comment or not, but Arthur's next action decided for him. The older boy looped a strong arm around the manservant's shoulder and pressed firmly into the warlock's collarbone with his thumb. Merlin winced and tried to wiggle away.

"Don't worry, Father. Merlin's not going to say another word. Isn't that right, Merlin?" Arthur's thumb dug deeper into Merlin's skin.

"Wouldn't dream of it," the manservant muttered, finally able to wriggle free from the prince's grasp.

Gaius waited patiently for the exchange to end before he revealed his results of the autopsy. "As expected," the doctor started, "the cause of death was suicide. It seems as if he took a pill made of," Gaius sniffed the white drool that had tricked down the man's cheek, "hemlock and wolfs bane. The hemlock's potency would have been increased by the wolfs bane. Whoever this man was, he was prepared to die." Gaius pried open the man's stiff jaws and peered inside his mouth. "The capsule was broken prematurely. It might explain why he missed twice." Gaius looked solemnly at the two boys. "If he hadn't been suffering from severe muscle spasms while trying to throw those daggers, both of you would probably be dead." Merlin struggled to swallow. The assassin was deadly enough with the disability. The warlock hated to find out what a perfectly healthy assassin could do to them.

"Search him," Uther commanded, his bad mood returning. One guard bent down and dug through the assassin's pockets. After removing two more daggers, he found a creased letter. The guard frowned as he read the opening line.

"What does it say?" Uther snapped, grabbing the letter. "Does it say who sent him? Who the target was?"

The guard shook his head, but wasn't able to verbalize his thoughts. Uther scanned the letter to find out what had the guard speechless. With a strangely satisfied expression, he tossed the letter behind him. Arthur bent down to pick it up.

"It seems as if we were worried over nothing," Uther announced. He strode out of the room without any sort of explanation. The guards followed behind him, none questioning their king. Gaius and Sir Leon remained in the room with the two young men. The former two exchanged nervous glances. Arthur unfolded the letter and read it with a rapidly changing expression. It faded from confusion to unconcealed dread in a matter of seconds.

"What's it say, Arthur?" Merlin pressed, leaning to try to get a glimpse of what the troubling letter said. The warlock was very confused as to why Uther didn't care, and yet his son was obviously worried.

Arthur swallowed and thrust the letter at his manservant. "Read it yourself. It's addressed to you."

"Very funny," Merlin smirked as he unfolded the letter. The smile promptly dropped off of his face as he read the greeting. _Merlin._ "I guess it was for me," he mumbled as he continued reading the short note. _You've been a thorn in our side for too long._

"That's not good."

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading, and thanks again to anyone who has supported my other "On blank and blank" stories. I really appreciate it :D  
Remember! Many reviews = many updates xD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Targeted  
**Rating: **T  
**Timeframe/Info About This Fic: **Let's just pretend that Uther wasn't completely insane in the gap between Season 3 and 4, because this is when this crazy ole fic would happen  
**Disclaimer:** If I owned Merlin, we'd all be in trouble.  
**Authors Note: **Gosh, thank you so much guys. I woke up this morning with 44 (!) notifications and had over 30 throughout the day. It's been the most I've ever had from one story :D As promised, you guys left wonderful reviews, so here's chapter two! It's not as thrilling...more of a set up, but next chapter will be _intense._

* * *

It was some time before either of the two boys were able to bring up the morning's events. Arthur naturally didn't bring it up because he didn't want to frighten his manservant. A calm Merlin nearly destroyed everything Arthur owned; he'd hate to find out what "jumpy" Merlin would do to his vases. Merlin didn't bring it up because he didn't want to "concern" Arthur (though more likely he didn't want to hear Arthur's meant-to-be-reassuring "don't worry, Merlin" and "no one _really_ wants to kill you, Merlin), but mostly because he didn't care. Even though the first assassin caught him off-guard, now that he was warned, Merlin had a feeling that things were going to _magically_ fall their way.

However, it was too hard on the boy not to gloat on the latest development of the mercenary case. "So, someone _does_ want to kill me?"

"Merlin, please," Arthur barely glanced up from his papers. After the body was taken to Gaius's for further inspection, and calm was relatively restored to the castle, Arthur poured into his gathered documents with renewed vigor. "No distractions. I'm trying to figure out their next move before…" he trailed off, looking anywhere but at the manservant.

"Before what?"

Arthur lowered the scrap of paper in his hands. "Before we aren't so lucky." It suddenly hurt for Merlin to swallow. He wasn't particularly concerned for his own wellbeing, but he wasn't the only one in danger. Naturally the prince would be in danger as well. Already that theory was proved when Arthur was nearly a casualty a few hours ago. Even knowing that he wasn't the intended target only served to drive Arthur further into stopping whoever wanted Merlin dead; nothing would keep Arthur from trying to protect his manservant, even though the prince would never admit it. Merlin was touched by this, and decided to take the morning's events more seriously. _For Arthur._

"Thanks for saving my life, Arthur." Merlin could easily have deflected the blade with a simple word, but Arthur had reacted first, selflessly shoving the manservant out of the dagger's path and fighting the attacker.

A thin smile fought its way onto the future king's face. "Didn't you say something about _you_ always saving my life, Merlin? I think we'd be even, if that somehow was true."

_If you only knew, you royal prat. If you only knew. _Instead of arguing or complaining again, Merlin grinned. "Just you wait, Sire. Someday you'll see just how much I've helped you."

"Whatever," the prince rolled his eyes and tried to focus back on the papers. Somehow the boy couldn't quite get his heart back into it, and he stared off into space, thoughts dwelling on similar matters. There was a question nagging at the back of his head, but he had been waiting to ask it.

"That man…the assassin—he wasn't Eyog, was he?"

Merlin thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, that wasn't him." Then, in a much softer voice, he added "But I think that the one on your list may be the same one I know."

"Yes," Arthur nodded in agreement. This brought another thought to mind. "Who would want to kill _you_ though? No offense, but you're just an idiotic servant."

Merlin shot him a flat look, but answered with a "None taken." The warlock pondered the prince's first question. "I _am_ a servant to the prince. Maybe if I'm…gone, the job would be reopened for someone to get the chance to get closer to you and the king. Remember Cedric? That's what he wanted—to get your keys. That could be the main target, or maybe they just want to kill you too."

Arthur shook his head. "Then why send _assassins_ after you? If someone wanted your job that badly, they'd only have to be halfway decent at being a servant and I'd gladly replace you with them. Even psychotic murders would probably be better at polishing my armor than you. They'd certainly respect my sword a whole lot more than you do. You really are the worst servant I've ever had, Merlin. I ought to bury this assassin with honors for tr—"

"Very funny, Sire," Merlin sneered at his future king, cutting him off in the middle of the prince's meaningless insults. "Why haven't you replaced me already then?"

Arthur sighed loudly, and both boys knew he wasn't answering truthfully. "It's just too hard to train new servants. And they'd probably be complete bootlickers. You know how much I hate that kind of people."

One of Merlin's eyebrows skyrocketed into his dark, shaggy hair. A strange hybrid of a disbelieving cough and a loud laugh broke through his grin. "_You?_ You don't like flatterers? I thought you lived to have your ego inflated."

"As much as this may surprise you," Arthur started with an offended sniff, "I like people who speak words of substance. Unlike you and your prattle on the most ridiculous topics."

Merlin merely smiled, a tart reply dancing on his lips, when the two were interrupted by a hesitant knock at the door. Arthur reached for his sword, but it wasn't needed. A slightly nervous guard poked his head in the door, waiting to be addressed.

"Sire…?"

"Yes?" Arthur eyed the man warily. Luckily he recognized the guard, otherwise the poor man would have had a nice sized holed in his stomach.

"The king wishes to have an audience with you."

Arthur smile d and gestured for Merlin to follow him. "Alright, but I don't see why you were so nervous about it."

"Alone, My Lord." He looked pointedly at Merlin. "The king wishes to speak to you _alone._"

Arthur's confident smile faltered as he exchanged glances with his manservant. "I'm sure he just wants to speak with me about the knights' training," he said, more so to convince himself than his manservant. "If it was about the assassin threat, he'd allow you to be present." Merlin nodded uncertainly.

"I'll just, ah, go to Gaius's if you don't mind, Sire. Unless you want me to do something for you…?"

Arthur cut the air with a firm slice of his hand. "That won't be necessary. See if you and Gaius can find anything else on the assassin. I'll call for you when I need you again."

Merlin dipped his head and left the room. The guard cleared his throat nervously, trying to remind the prince that he had an appointment to attend. Arthur frowned as he followed his father's messenger to the main hall.

* * *

"Ah, Arthur! I have something to speak with you about."

Arthur regarded the king with barely veiled suspicion. Something was _off; _the King of Camelot was _smiling._ "Father?"

"It's time we discussed this whole business with the assassin." The king waved his hand flippantly.

Arthur was still hopelessly confused. "Yes," he started slowly. Not even a few hours ago, the king was furious when he heard about the potential tragedy of losing his son. Now the king was treating the threat as a sort of a game. "I believe we should follow Sir Leon's lead and attempt to round up as many of the assassins as we can. The sooner we stop this threat, the sooner Camelot can sleep peacefully."

"Nonsense."

"Forgive me?" The prince's eyebrows rose slightly. "I thought you would want this risk stopped."

"I do, believe me," Uther began. "But you have to think of the consequences, Arthur. You may not know this, but there have been revolts in the Marshlands. We cannot afford to divide our forces with rumors of assassins."

"They aren't _rumors_, Father. You saw the body of the man who attacked us!"

"Yes, and we know what he was after. There is no need to search out these assassin camps since we know their motive."

The future king of Albion slowly shook his head. "I don't think I understand…"

The king carried on as if he hadn't heard his son. "I'm prepared to assign more guards to protect you, but that is all I shall do for this assassin matter." Again, the king flapped his hand carelessly through the air. "You will no longer have to worry about it."

"But I wasn't the target!" Arthur argued, starting to feel a bit nauseous. Somehow the prince knew this conversation was going to turn to a certain pale manservant very quickly. "_I'm_ not the one in danger!"

"Yes, but you were defending the target," Uther counted in a cool voice. "You nearly _died, _my son. You heard what Gaius said—it was only luck that you managed to survive."

Arthur's frown deepened significantly. "What are you saying, Father?"

"I'm saying that your manservant is a danger to your safety and the future of this kingdom. No servant's life is that valuable."

"Merlin has saved my life before!"

The king found this just as funny as his son did a few hours ago. "Has he now?" Uther snorted. "And is a worthless servant worth risking your own life?"

"I trust Merlin with my life," Arthur said in a firm voice. He stared straight into his father's face, refusing to bow down to his king. "I'd do anything to protect him."

"That's a nice thought, Arthur, but I must consider the wellbeing of this kingdom above your 'friend.' I want you to fire the boy. He is no longer welcome to live at the castle. I'll inform Gaius immediately to turn the boy out. He'll understand."

Arthur's jaw dropped. "But that's not fair! You can't do that!"

Uther looked confused at his son's reaction. "You should be pleased, Arthur. Are you not continually telling me that he is the 'worst servant you've ever had?' Now you may pick a better servant who will not make as many mistakes." Uther considered something. "And do try not to pick one with a mental affliction as this past one had," he added.

"I don't _want_ another servant!" Arthur insisted, his voice slightly taking on the whiny tone of a spoiled child. "I'm not going to get rid of Merlin."

"One day, you'll understand my decision. Perhaps you'll even thank me once this ordeal is over."

"No, I won't."

Uther stiffened. "What?"

Arthur took a step towards the king, arms outstretched by his sides and his palms facing up. "I do not think you are right in this decision. I'm not going to fire Merlin, and he will not be forced to leave Camelot. He's defenseless outside our walls; the assassins will have their jobs completed by weeks end."

"Then we will no longer have to worry." Uther turned away; the discussion over for him. "Camelot will be safe by weeks end."

Arthur's eyes grew to the size of silver coins. Then his face crumpled into an expression of disdain. Morgana's reasons for betrayal now seemed not so ridiculous. "These are the words of a king?" he murmured. "Kings are meant to protect the weak—not let them die just because they may cause an inconvenience." He narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him.

His son's defiance now was too great for Uther not to punish. "Do I need to remind you that I am, in fact, the _King of Camelot?_" He stalked towards Arthur until he was nearly in his son's face. "As your father, I know what is best for you. As your king, you must listen to me. What I say is law." Uther's fierce expression softened, but only for a moment. "Whatever the reason these people want your manservant dead is beyond me. Frankly, I do not care. But I care about _you_. I do not want you to be a casualty in a war that does not concern you." He placed a heavy hand on Arthur's shoulder. "For heaven's sakes, Arthur! He's just a _servant."_ His palm crushed into his son's shoulder blade, pleading with him to drop the case.

Arthur would do no such thing, however. He jerked his shoulder free, giving his father a withering glare. "This _does_ concern me. Merlin is my manservant, and as _future king_ I must protect those who need protection—even if you do not agree with it." He turned around and stalked quickly towards the doors. They seemed further away than Arthur remembered.

"You ignored my orders after the boy was poisoned at the peace conference with Bayard," Uther addressed his son's back with a cold, forceful voice. "I was forced to take action, but that did not deter you." Arthur did not stop walking, but the hairs on the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably. "I now realize that I may have to go to further lengths in order to ensure that you remain obedient to me. This is your last chance, Arthur. End the boy's employment and never speak to him again."

Arthur paused at the doors. His hand lightly fell on the cold, stone handle as he turned to look at Uther one last time. "I will not," he repeated in the same firm and determined voice.

"Then pay the consequences." Arthur strained to pull the suddenly-too-heavy door and slipped out of the room without another word. He couldn't get away from Uther's damning voice fast enough.

* * *

A knock on the door caused Merlin to jump. He jostled the table of silver instruments resting by his knee, their loud clanging causing Gaius to also jump. Merlin's fumbling attempts to return all of the various medical tools to their correct spots only made matters worse.

"Merlin," Gaius frowned at the boy.

"Ah, sorry, I'll just, uh, get the door." Merlin carefully avoided stepping on a very sharp knife as he made his way haphazardly to the door. Not even realizing this could be a trap until he pulled the door knob, he decided to trust fate and opened the door the rest of the way.

The figure that greeted him was infinitely worse than any assassin. A very drunk Gwaine grinned and chortled loudly when he saw Merlin.

"Mer-hic-win!" The man slurred. "I'm glad to see you not de-hic-ad yet."

"You're drunk, Gwaine," Merlin frowned disapprovingly. "Come inside before you do more damage to yourself."

"My plea-hic-sure." The not so charming knight pushed his way inside and settled down heavily next to the dead assassin. He stared blearily at the body before refocusing, with some difficulty, on the young warlock. Gaius quickly busied himself with making a draft that would make the knight more sober.

"So, I guess you've heard about the incident at the palace," Merlin started drily. Several people had already tried to visit the court physician with suspicious "ailments" just to ask Merlin what had happened a few hours ago.

Gaius handed the drunken man the brown liquid in a clear vial. Gwaine eyed it with the greatest distaste before downing it with a grimace. The man's clouded eyes immediately sharpened. "That's old news, mate. Haven't you heard the latest?" Merlin shook his head.

"How would I? I've been in here with Gaius this whole time." He threw a sidelong glance at the old man, hoping he would hear him. "He hasn't let me out except to pee. Apparently there's someone out there who wants me dead or something."

Gwaine looked at the old physician and addressed him instead of the warlock in front of him. "If I bring him back by bedtime, can I take the boy out?"

Gaius rolled his eyes. "Take him away from here," the man said, exasperated beyond what his wits could handle. "He's been a complete nuisance; it's a challenge to get him to stay in one place for more than a minute."

"Have you been a pain for dear old Gaius?" Gwaine grinned at his younger friend.

"Just get me out of here!" Merlin growled, grabbing the dashing knight's arm and pulling him towards the door. "And tell me the news."

Gwaine's grin grew broader; clearly this was some sort of twisted game for him. "Alright, but you asked for it."

* * *

Unfortunately for the Court Physician, Gaius's moment of peace was short lived. A hesitant knocking sounded at the door. "What did you forget, Merlin?" Gaius called as he made his way slowly to the door. Instead of seeing his ward's grinning face, he was surprised to see the solemn expression of a young woman.

"Is Merlin not here?" The girl's voice was tiny and timid.

Gaius shook his head. "I'm sorry, my child, but you just missed him." For a brief moment, Gaius thought he saw a flash of anger grace the girl's eyes. However, it was gone far too quickly for the old man to be sure.

"Was that Merlin who just passed by? With the red scarf?" The girl implored politely.

Gaius's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you know him?"

The girl nodded eagerly. "We grew up together in Ealdor. He probably wouldn't recognize me, since he left so long ago, but I wanted to stop by since my family is staying in Camelot for a few days."

"If you tell me where you are staying, I'll let him know that you stopped by, uhm…may I have a name, dear?"

That same dark expression flickered across the young woman's face, this time long enough for Gaius to catch it. "I'll just stop by another time when he's home," she hastily told the doctor, her voice not so sweet anymore.

"If that's all you need…" Gaius started, politely implying that it was the girl's time to leave.

However, the young woman seemed to miss the hint. The body of the dead assassin caught in the corner of her eye. "What caused his death?" The sound of childish wonder in her voice now sounded forced to the court physician. "Is it some sort of plague?" Her eyes were way too wide to be normal; she was clearly acting.

"He died of natural causes, my dear," Gaius said in a flat tone. This nameless visitor was not who she was claiming to be. He didn't want to give her any information that might eventually harm Merlin. "I doubt it was the plague."

"My family has rats," the girl suddenly said, unable to be deterred from believing that this man died from some sort of horrible plague. "Do you have anything that would rid us of them? Just in case it is a plague," she smiled sweetly at Gaius.

Powerless to refuse any plea for help, Gaius mixed up a powder of relatively harmless crushed herbs and flowers. "This should be safe enough to use around humans," he handed the girl the packet with a smile, hoping that she'd finally leave.

The girl accepted it with an icy smile. "Are you sure you don't have anything more…potent?" Gaius stiffened slightly. "Perhaps hemlock? Or maybe nightshade or oleander?"

Gaius frowned. "The king has forbidden me from having such poisons in my stores." However, his quick glance to the side to check to make sure the poisons were out of sight betrayed him. The young woman smirked, her entire appearance changing with the horrible, catlike smile.

The old man never felt the woman's hard fist collide with his temple. He was unconscious before he hit the dusty floor.

And when he woke up, he didn't even have to check his stores to know what was missing.

* * *

**Enter Assassin Two? And why do I write Gwaine-y drunk all the time?! There has to be times when he's completely sober .  
Thanks again for reading and being so generous in your reviews :D Remember, more reviews = more pigheaded Uther (you know you guys love him!)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Merlin, we'd all be in trouble.  
**Authors Note: **Gosh, thank you so much again! Just today, I have over 1,000 views on this story (!) and over 120 (!) notifications in two days. Jiminy Christmas! As to the people who hired the assassins, many of you guys have already figured it out kind of. Just pretend you haven't, and it'll still be a surprise when I reveal it next chapter or so xD

* * *

After his father's blunt warning, Arthur decided that he needed to find his manservant. Preferably, as soon as possible. He skipped going straight to Gaius's, knowing the grating nature of the boy would soon force the physician to turn Merlin out, assassins roaming the streets of Camelot or not. More likely, Merlin was somewhere else. Seeing as it was where Merlin liked to spend the most of his "free time," Arthur checked the tavern first.

As luck would have it, Merlin was huddled in a dark corner of the pungent tavern, listening to what Sir Gwaine was saying with only partial interest. Deciding it was best not to attract attention to their situation, although it was hard not to with the prince's sweeping red cloak and clattering chainmail, Arthur attempted to walk stealthily towards his manservant and his drunken friend. Unfortunately, Arthur's efforts were in vain, as the moment he entered the bar, silence fell upon the drinkers with a loud hush and all eyes followed the future king to the back corner. When they saw who he was meeting, a low buzzing of gossip rose in the stale air. Merlin perked up, waiting to hear what his master would say when he reached the boy.

Arthur grimaced when he was in speaking distance of the two. "We need to go somewhere private," he murmured, perfectly aware of the curious stares. It seemed as if all of the occupants of the tavern had simply slid a bit closer to the small party. Arthur refused to sit on the grimy bench, and instead towered over the two sitting young men. He hoped this threatening stance would help convince the two to follow his instructions without too many questions.

One of Gwaine's eyebrows rose rakishly. "We're as safe here as any other place. Probably safer since the assassins would dare strike in public." He slung an arm around the pale boy beside him, nearly knocking the manservant out of the booth. "I'm not going to let you risk my friend's life here for a pair of dirty boots that you need to have cleaned."

Arthur's lips tightened, their usual pink shade draining completely of color. "It's not the assassin who Merlin should be worried about. It's my father. Come on, Merlin." He took a step back, waiting for his manservant to follow him.

Merlin started to get up, but a firm hand of Gwaine's forced him back down. "Wait, Merlin. You're just as safe with me here. No king would ever be caught dead in a tavern. Imagine how easily you'll be spotted with the prince. It'd be like a treasure hunt—find the spoiled prince and there's your target!"

"Please…" A sudden change came over the future king. It took Merlin a moment to realize that the prince was actually pleading with them. "I'll keep him safe."

Gwaine snorted, apparently unimpressed with the prince's claim. "You trust him, Merlin?"

The manservant gave a wobbly smile to his friend. "With my life," he murmured.

"That makes one of us then," Gwaine sighed, finally conceding to the prince even though he clearly wasn't happy about it. He dropped his grip on the boy's shoulder. Merlin immediately slipped from out behind the booth and stood at attention next to his prince.

"Go wait by the door," Arthur said suddenly. "I'll meet you there in a second. I have to talk to Gwaine about something. Knight business."

Merlin frowned. "I don't see why I ca—"

"_Go,_ Merlin." The boy sighed loudly, but did as he was told. The prince waited for the boy to be out of earshot before turning back to the charming knight in front of him. "I need you to go talk to Sir Leon for me."

Gwaine laughed harshly. "I'm not your servant, _Sire_. He's standing over there." He gestured at a sulking Merlin by the door.

Arthur closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. After a moment of calm breathing, he opened his eyes, and Gwaine could see the young man was truly worried for his manservant—their mutual friend. "I'm not ordering you as your future king; I'm asking you for Merlin." Arthur paused. "I'm worried that my father might actually carry through on his threats."

The knight's hard expression softened. "For Merlin," he agreed. A devilish thought struck the dashing knight. "And one more thing," he grinned.

That's how the bar keeper of the tavern got a new gold ring for his wife. Needless to say, the barmaid was so pleased to wear the royal piece of jewelry that she let her husband come inside to sleep for the night.

* * *

Arthur wasn't wasting anytime with idle chitchat with his manservant. He ignored the boy's bombardment of questions with a stony face. When the boy wasn't walking fast enough for his liking, he roughly grabbed Merlin's upper arm and all but towed him through the castle. The boy protested and tried to yank his arm free, but the prince's grip was like an iron vise. After a while, the boy's indignant complaints died away. Once they were nearly spotted by a patrol of guards. Unsure of what his father's orders regarding Merlin were, the future king decided not to test luck. He threw the boy into a dark corner, blocking him from view with the shadows and his own body. Arthur nodded politely to the guards, who passed by without hesitating. Once they were a safe distance away, Arthur allowed the very annoyed manservant to be free.

"What was that about?" he snapped. "You're acting like _I'm_ the assassin."

Arthur sighed, realizing that he would have no peace until he answered the boy's many questions. "My father told me that I had to fire you and banish you from Camelot."

"That's not fair!" the boy sputtered, looking relatively outraged. This seemed to bother him more than being shoved into dark, dusty corners.

"That's what I told him. I said you'd be dead in a weak without my protection."

"Now, I don't know about that…" Merlin started with a cross frown. "I'm sure I could take ca—"

Arthur cut him off, not believing the boy to be capable of holding his own against infamous assassins. "My father became," he paused, racking his brain for a suitable word to use, "outraged that I was prepared to defend you, with my own life if necessary." The prince was looking everywhere but at his manservant. Merlin swallowed thickly. Again he was reminded of the risk this carried for Arthur. "He said there would be consequences to pay for my 'disobedience.'"

"Arthur, I don't want you to get in trouble with your father over me…" Merlin mumbled, partly touched and partly miserable.

The prince cleared his throat. "Nonsense. What would the people think of me if I followed my father's orders to let you die?"

Merlin gave his friend a grim smile. "They'd probably think you're a wise man."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Nooo…" he said, drawing out the "o"s impossibly long. "They would think I was selfish and a coward."

"Whatever, Sire. Do what your conscience tells you to do." The boy was silent for a moment. "But… I appreciate what you're doing. Even if it is stupid," he grinned at the prince.

"I suppose that's a bad sign if _you _say I'm doing something stupid." Arthur returned the smirk with a weak smile and grabbed the boy's arm again. "Come on. We have to get to my chambers as quick as possible." He towed the boy down the hallway, the manservant only offering up the expected complaint every now and then. It wouldn't be like him to stay silent.

"Sooo…" Merlin started lazily after they had successfully avoided another patrol. "What were you talking to Gwaine about? He almost looked like he liked you at the end." Merlin's face morphed into an expression of horror. "Oh no. Don't tell me you offered to buy him the tavern. You don't know how much of a nightmare he is when he's on the cid—Hey!"

Thankfully the two were standing in front of Arthur's door. He pushed it open, checked to make sure no one was inside waiting, and shoved the protesting manservant inside. He shut the door, lodging a chair underneath the doorknob to prevent unfriendly people from breaking in. Immediately the older man began to throw various things into a bag, including left over bits from breakfast, maps, and several sets of the prince's clothes. Merlin watched this all with a bemused smile.

"Going somewhere, Sire?"

"No, but you are." He forced the bag into his manservant's arms. "You are going to escape to the forest and _wait._ I'll be there to join you in a few hours as soon as I manage to soothe my father's temper. If I'm…detained, Gwaine or another trusted knight will meet you in my place. I'll try to get my father to see reason. Hopefully you will be back in Camelot by tomorrow. If the king refuses to help you, we'll set out together to rid us of these assassins. Their deaths will surely be enough to allow you to return."

The manservant's head was practically buzzing from all of the different possibilities and scenarios. He took a deep breath and managed to order them into little, neat piles in his brain. "Arthur, you don't have to do this for me. Don't seek out the assassins—you'll only get hurt…or worse." He smiled weakly. "I'll be okay for a bit. Just stay here in Camelot."

Arthur shook his head, obviously going to argue, when the door exploded open. Arthur's hand hovered above his sword, waiting to see the gruesome face of an assassin sneering at them. The sight of a very livid Uther and multiple armed guards was worse than any assassin.

"Merlin's leaving," he informed his father sarcastically. Arthur was trying hard not to let a sneer rise on his lips. "I'm doing what you told me to. Look, he has a bag already packed." Merlin waved the bag helpfully in the air.

Uther ignored his son, glaring at the manservant. Merlin quelled slightly under the king's rage. "Sorry for causing trouble, My Lord, but I was just leaving…" He exchanged a nervous look with Arthur before sliding slightly towards the severely damaged door.

"Arrest him!" Uther barked, throwing a finger at the boy. The guards slowly filed into the room, making their way to the frowning manservant.

"What's his crime?" Arthur demanded, taking a step towards Merlin. He was gently pulled away from his manservant, the guards afraid of harming their future king.

However, they didn't mind hurting a simple servant. Two guards roughly latched onto the manservant, shaking him harshly. Merlin winced, certain he could hear his brain rattling in his skull. "Arthur…?" The boy looked so confused as he was dragged towards the door. His lost expression only further enraged the prince.

"I told you that there would be consequences, Arthur. You didn't listen to me," Uther's voice was quiet, but easy to hear despite the ruckus in the room. "Maybe now you will learn to obey me."

"_Father!_ He's _leaving. _That was what you wanted me to do." Arthur's outraged shouts were barely heard over Merlin's muddled squawk, Uther's now loud commanding, and the stomping of guard boots and the clanging of metal. The prince launched himself towards Merlin, trying to free him from the guards' merciless hold. If he could free the boy long enough, he might have a chance to escape the castle.

"Restrain him!" Uther shouted, pointing to his own son. Arthur was too furious to be hurt by his father's betrayal. Unable to disobey a direct order from their king, two of the nearest guards exchanged nervous shrugs before they grabbed each of Arthur's shoulders. Arthur ripped his arms free, taking another step towards his imprisoned manservant.

"I said _restrain him!" _Uther was just as furious as his son now. More guards piled onto Arthur until a grand total of six of Camelot's finest were finally able to subdue the boy. Arthur watched helplessly as Merlin was dragged painfully from the room to who knew where. Arthur assumed he was taken to the dungeon, but he was not allowed to follow them in fear that he would become even more dangerous. Uther watched the guards leave with their prisoner, a satisfied smile picking on his lips. After sufficient time had passed for the guards to take Merlin to wherever he was to be kept, Uther snapped his fingers. The six guards that were still on top of Arthur murmured their apologies and immediately got off of the boy. They left quickly, leaving only the father and the son in the room.

"If you _ever_ act that way again, I will not hesitate to kill the boy on the spot." Uther warned in his cold, heartless voice. With an arrogant flip of his cloak, he spun around and marched proudly from the room.

Arthur glared fiercely at the spot where his father had been. He wouldn't have been able to follow Uther, even if he had wanted to.

* * *

It took Arthur well over five minutes to convert his furious, swirling thoughts into something manageable. It was five minutes later when he was able to rationally think about things other than his fury for his cruel father.

_When I am king, I will _never_ do that. No matter what the reason. _Arthur froze. That thought made it sound as if he believed he was going to be a better king than his father. Arthur pondered this for a moment. _I will be a patient king. I will not be rash. I won't sacrifice the lives of innocents for convenience. _Arthur was started by this revelation. He wanted to dwell further on it, but there was an aforementioned innocent who needed his help very badly.

Arthur decided to turn to the only person who could help; a man who had as of late been more of a father figure than Arthur's own father. Gaius. Again, this surprised the future king that he regarded the Court Physician to be more nurturing and understanding than his own flesh and blood father, but Arthur pushed away this thought for a rainy day as well. He wasn't going to get anything done if he didn't stop thinking about pointless notions all day.

Luckily he met Gaius in the hallway. The old man's face was flushed; his breaths coming out in strained pants. "Arthur!" The man's tense expression softened slightly at the sight of the prince. "What's going on?"

"My father has made his decision on the matter of the assassins." It was hard to hide the scorn in his voice.

"Whatever do you mean? Where are they taking Merlin? He just passed by me looking as pale as death. Uther refused to explain." The worry lines around the doctor's eyes tightened. "Is he in trouble?"

"It's my fault, Gaius. I tried to be strong and stand up for what's right…and now Merlin is paying for it." Arthur glumly retold the most recent events to have occurred. Gaius listened without interrupting, his face growing more pinched and pained at each word.

"You have to understand, Arthur, that your father wants what's best for you," the man ignored the younger man's loud objections. "I know it was probably the worst thing to do in this situation, but we have more important matters to discuss."

"What do you mean?" Arthur's neck hairs prickled again. Gaius quickly recounted his day, including the mysterious visitor to his home, her interest in poisons, and the robbery.

"If we don't hurry, I'm afraid Merlin might not make it through the night. He has no idea that he's in danger of being poisoned unless we tell him."

Arthur made a rude noise in the back of his throat. "My father has assigned guards to keep me from even speaking to Merlin. Guards will be following me as well. I'm probably going to be forced to stay in my room until this whole situation ends. By then it'll certainly be too late." It took all of Arthur's self-control not to ram his fist into the stone wall. The boy suddenly grinned, finding the idea of preventing his infuriating manservant's death to be slightly therapeutic. "If you can help me escape the guards who'll be at my door, I can get a way to talk to Merlin."

Gaius's eyes lit up as well, the irises crinkling mischievously. "Are you well, Sire? I fear you may be coming down with something during this stressful time." He escorted the prince back to his room where, sure enough, guards were waiting to him.

Arthur frowned. "Gaius, I am perfectly well, I assure you," he murmured so the guards wouldn't hear him. Understanding finally dawned on the prince. "I mean," he added a fake cough for show, "I think I am becoming ill. It clearly affected my judgment, you see. Be sure to mention that to my father," he said in a steely voice.

Gaius nodded. "Of course, Sire. I'll mention that to the king. Expect my return in an hour. I have to, ah, find a new assistant since my former one is missing." Arthur looked confused, but he didn't risk saying anything in front of the guards. He merely thanked the court physician and slipped into his room. Immediately he prepared everything he would need to save his manservant's life. Not that the ungrateful idiot deserved it or anything.

* * *

About an hour later, a light knocking sounded at Arthur's door. He shoved the last of his supplies in his bag, wondering how in the world the old physician was going to be able to free him from his plushy prison. He could hear the old man's explanation from the other side of the door and a moment later, the physician was inside Arthur's room, a wide-eyed boy trailing after him. A large cloak was dangling over the boy's arm.

"So, Sire? What seems to be bothering you?" Gaius asked the prince loudly, trying to throw any eavesdroppers off of the scent.

"How are you going to get me out of here?" Arthur demanded in a low voice. He glanced to the side to see Gaius's new assistant trembling slightly in the presence of his future king. "And why'd you bring him?"

"Arthur, this is George." Gaius's introduction forced Arthur to take a closer look at the boy. Upon further inspection, George seemed to share similar physical traits with the prince. They both had blonde hair, although Arthur's was well kempt and styled compared to the boy's shaggy rat's nest. They were of similar height, but the prince was about twice as built as the new servant. _We'd almost be twins if he were a bit more handsome. _Even in dire situations, the future king still was able to keep his priorities straight.

Arthur looked down at the cloak in the boy's arms. It was much too big on him, but on the prince, it would fit nicely. He shot a questioning look to Gaius, who merely smiled. _Our court physician is more devious than I thought. _

"I'm really sorry about this, since you seem like a nice kid and all," Arthur started apologetically.

George's wide eyes darted from the prince to Gaius, trying to make sense of the situation. He had a feeling things were about to change for the worse. At least, for him they were. "My Lord…?"

"I hope you understand. I have an idiot to save." That's when George felt the prince's fist collide with his nose. The force of the blow caused him to tip, darkness rushing in from all four corners of the room. _Prince Arthur just punched me!_ The incredulous thought echoed in his mind.

He didn't mind though. He was being punched by royalty, after all.

_Wait till Mum and Dad hear about this._

* * *

**Poor George... Poor Arthur... Poor Merlin... Crafty Gaius... o.O  
Thanks for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing! More reviews = more of a chance George won't be executed for being punched in the face by Arthur!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Merlin, well, we'd have quite a few more brass jokes from George  
**Authors Note: **You know what makes me laugh? Most of the reviews for Chapter 3 dealt with George. I have a feeling you guys care more about George than Merlin or Arthur. Well, you'd be happy to know that George will be safe from Uther's rage. Thanks for all of the support :D

(To **RavenclawMerlinFan:** I'm impressed that you caught the appearance differences. Unfortunately, if the George here looked like the George in the Merlin episode, he wouldn't have been a very good Arthur double. However, I assure you he is the same George, and you will hear brass jokes in the future :D)

* * *

"My Lord?"

Uther glanced up from the maps that were spread across the table. He smiled at the sight of one of his knights. "Ah, Sir Leon. Can I help you?"

The knight glanced around at the surrounding nobles and advisors, hesitating before speaking. "May I have a word with you, Sire? I have something important to discuss. Though, it would probably be best, Your Highness, if we spoke undisturbed."

Uther merely nodded, and the others left the room immediately. They each bowed politely to their king while giving the knight curious looks. When the last noble had finished his stalling and finally left, Uther looked pointedly at Sir Leon.

"I hope my son hasn't sent you here to argue the case for that manservant. This better have nothing to do with the assassins."

Sir Leon paled, trying to find the right words to day. "Forgive me, Sire, but this does involve the assassins." The king instantly stiffened. "However, I am not here to plead for Prince Arthur's manservant." The knight was quick to try to explain." I," Sir Leon paused "_support_ your decision to arrest the manservant for the safety of Prince Arthur."

This calmed the king, and he looked at the knight expectantly. "Go on," he pressed.

_I can't believe they're making me lie to my king._ Sir Leon internally cursed his fondness for the imprisoned manservant. "I fear that your son may try to escape from his room and break the boy out of prison. There is nothing wrong with Camelot's guards. They are the finest in the Five Kingdoms. But…"

"But what?"

"Well," Sir Leon made a face. "They tend to sometimes be…outwitted." The knight paused again, unsure if he should add the "often" into his admission as well. He decided to leave it to the king's imagination to determine the brilliance of his guards, and continued to please his own case. "If Arthur was to escape, he could easily incapacitate the guards by the boy's cell and free him from prison."

This rattled the king slightly. He too knew how _unreliable _Camelot's finest could be when it came to guarding anything. "What are you suggesting, Sir Leon?"

"The prince's safety is the most important thing to me. I would like to replace the guards temporarily with some of my most loyal knights. If Arthur tries to free Mer—ah, the manservant, they will prevent him from doing so without causing major injury. Once this assassin situation has blown over, or once Arthur finally sees your wisdom, we can return the usual guards back to their posts."

Uther mulled this over, head bouncing as he thought. "It is a very good plan, Sir Leon. You shall have complete control over the guarding of the lower prisons."

"Thank you, Sire."

The king smiled at his knight. "No, thank _you_, Sir Leon, for having my son's interests as a top priority. I know I can trust you. You are one of my most loyal knights."

Sir Leon forced a weak smile on his face. "Thank you, My Lord."

_This is definitely not worth that one drink Gwaine promised. He owes me the entire tavern._

* * *

In all honesty, Arthur felt bad for George. _His _knuckles were sore from punching the replacement servant, so the prince bet the boy was going to have a hell of a headache when he woke up. He turned back to a slightly shocked Gaius.

"That was the plan…right?"

The physician blinked and tried not to smile. "I _was_ going to give him a sedative, but this was just as efficient, if not a bit crude."

"Well, we didn't have time to wait for it to set in." Arthur shrugged and picked the boy up. With a grunt, he heaved him onto the bed. The prince tried to cover up as much of the boy's thin form with the heavy blanket. If someone had entered his room for a brief moment just to check on the prince, they would be completely fooled into believing the sleeping young man in the bed was Prince Arthur.

"No, we don't." Gaius murmured. Then in a louder voice, he started calling out various substances that "his servant" would have to collect. "The prince has a severe cold and a slight fever. You must go fetch me some wormwood, powdered oak bark, and the essence of gaiaberries."

"Gaiaberries?" Arthur mouthed, slipping on the emerald cloak that the unfortunate replacement had brought with him.

Gaius shrugged. "They won't know what it does."

Another thought struck the boy. "If you know what this assassin plans on poisoning Merlin with, can you create an antidote? Just in case we don't make it in time?"

The court physician's face was grave. "The moment Merlin's lips touch the poison, it'll be too late, I fear."

Arthur nodded somberly. "I have to go now," he said as he walked quickly to the door. He wrapped a hand around the handle, but lingered at the door for a moment longer. He had snuck out of his rooms many times against his father's wishes, but never before had the method ever been so blatant. He'd hate to find out what his father would do to him if he was caught. _More people than just Merlin would be in danger of their lives. _Mentioning the manservant's name gave Arthur a slight burst of courage. _If Merlin's gone to fight dragons with me without even wearing armor, I can slip past a few guards. _Everything was a competition to Arthur, and he had to be braver than his manservant. Silently praying for luck, Arthur tugged on the door, shuffled out with his head down, and successfully made it past the guards.

_They didn't even look up from their card game!_ Arthur internally crowed. Still not throwing off his disguise as Gaius's new apprentice, he walked for a minute towards the physician's chambers in case someone was following him. When he deemed the coast was clear, he retraced his steps and hurried as fast as he could towards the prison cell that they were keeping his best friend in.

* * *

No one had yet to tell Gwaine the preferred method of killing of the second assassin. In fact, no one had even told him about the second assassin. That little piece of crucial information had been lost in the shuffle between the prince's house imprisonment, Merlin's capture, and the new line up of guards.

"I suppose I have the right to torture you if you don't tell me what I want, huh?"

Merlin glanced up at the grinning man standing in front of his cell. If he was shocked to see him, he didn't show it. The boy was still trying to figure out whether or not if it was best to try to escape or remain in the prison. It was unlikely that an assassin would want to risk breaking into a _guarded_ prison full of knights. Merlin wasn't sure how it exactly happened, but when Uther arrested him, he ended up putting Merlin in, what the warlock thought, the safest spot in Camelot. Someone had apparently neglected to tell the intended victim as well about the soon to be visiting assassin.

"Gwaine," Elyan hissed from his spot at the guards' table. "You shouldn't be talking to 'the prisoner!' The King is already suspicious of Prince Arthur. What will he think when he catches you 'chattering' with Merlin?"

Gwaine frowned. "You're taking the joy of this job away from me, Elyan." He glanced to the bulky man sitting beside Elyan. "Do you agree with him, Perc?"

Percival nodded.

"_Fine,_" Gwaine sighed. He shrugged a "what are ya going to do" shrug at the imprisoned manservant before sauntering back to the table. Merlin wondered if it would be considered "antagonizing the jailer" if he thanked the other two for getting the jokester knight away from him. Clearly that was all this was to Gwaine. A big, gigantic joke. _Probably since he isn't in jail, waiting to be killed by an assassin._

When Gwaine finally reached the table, there was the heavy sound of a slamming door above them. Someone was coming. Merlin perked up, hoping it was someone with news regarding the assassins. Based from the polite murmurs of Elyan, and the silence from Percival (which wasn't really surprising though), Merlin assumed it most likely wasn't Prince Arthur. However, it was Gwaine's reaction that completely proved that it wasn't Arthur at the door. The man actually sounded pleased to have the visitor in his company. _Then it _really_ isn't Arthur. _The warlock could barely make out the hushed conversation the four people were having. It sounded like their visitor was trying to deny Gwaine something in a light voice. When it became clear that Gwaine wasn't going to get whatever he wanted, the knight became a bit sullen.

"Dinner time, Merly!" he called in an annoyed voice. Merlin wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not when he heard a lewd comment under the breath of the carefree knight. He was fairly certain though it was Gwaine who grunted when, most likely, Elyan elbowed him in the gut.

The serving girl poked her face around the corner tentatively. She was tiny, but Merlin could tell she was a bit older than him. "I've brought your meal," she murmured, glancing down at her shoes every so often. Merlin looked at the tray and nearly felt his jaw drop to the floor. What was piled on the plated was much more than any prisoner could ever dream about. The palace chef had even been nice enough to include a small goblet of some dark liquid that Merlin assumed was wine. This made the boy a bit suspicious, but the loud grumbling that erupted from his stomach chased away all doubt. _I haven't eaten since this morning._ It was well into the night already.

The girl smiled at his stomach's reaction to the food. However, the smile didn't quite reach her gray eyes. Merlin noticed this, her chilly expression making him a bit more cautious. He thanked her with his own forced smile and accepted the food. "This looks…nice."

When he took the plate and goblet from her grasp, the girl's frosty face faded into a relived look. "I'm so glad you like it," the girl gushed in high tones. "I was so worried that it wasn't acceptable." Her face looked so sweet and innocent that Merlin instantly chastised himself for ever doubting her sincerity.

Merlin glanced down at the plate, suddenly conscious of how much food was on it. "Would you like some? I know us servants don't get that much to eat." He smiled warmly at her.

The girl shook her head. The cold expression returned to her face, but only for a moment. "_No_!" She smiled at him. "I would be in so much trouble if they found out I accepted food from you. It is all yours to eat, Merlin." Instead of sticking around to watch the boy eat, she excused herself quickly and left immediately. As her light footsteps faded away, Merlin could hear the polite goodbye from Elyan and the sullen grumble from Gwaine. He had no idea what the young woman could have done to upset his friend, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know. The young warlock looked down at the goblet of the dark liquid in his hand. _He probably wanted some of this, and she refused to let him have it. _The boy smirked. That didn't seem too far of a possibility. Merlin sloshed the nearly black liquid around in the silver cup, wondering what possibly could have been inside of it.

_Well, only one way to find out. _He raised the goblet to his lips.

* * *

Arthur was amazed how well his disguise was working. Not even a single guard had stopped him in his path. He had a feeling that the reason Gaius had been so late was because he had first paraded his new apprentice around the castle for a bit so all of the guards would become familiar with him.

_Gaius is certainly more devious than we give him credit for,_ Arthur repeated in his head. _I must be careful to not get on the man's bad side._

Arthur had wanted to take the most direct route to the prisons where he was certain they were holding Merlin, but he couldn't out of fear that he was being followed. He had just got to the door of the prison when another thought struck him.

_What if my father didn't listen to Sir Leon?_ Bursting in on armed guards, who were under strict orders from the king, would not make the situation any easier on him or Merlin. It would only make his father angrier, and Arthur dreaded to think what the king would do his friend. Arthur chewed the inside of his lip as he tried to think about this rationally.

_Surely Sir Leon was able to convince my father. If he hadn't been able to, he would have found a way to let me know. _No one had been to his room since he was imprisoned. The guards refused to let anyone but Gaius in his chambers, so he had no idea if Sir Leon had tried to talk to him or not.

Footsteps on the other side of the door caused the boy to jump back. The door creaked open, and a girl with an empty serving tray slipped out. The two stared at each other, and Arthur froze. He wasn't sure what the girl would do. If she threatened to turn him in, he didn't want to think about what he would do to stop her. Instead of shriek or run away, the girl did something odd.

She smirked at the prince. The seemingly out-of-place expression caused Arthur's gut to twist painfully. "Sire," she bowed slightly, the triumphant smirk morphing on her face until it became a content, catlike smile. She turned to go, but Arthur's hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm. Her tray clattered to the ground.

_There's something wrong about her. _"Wait!"

Still not afraid, the young woman spun around and launched a flying kick at Arthur's head. Arthur pushed the girl away and released his grip on her arm as he raised his own to arms to block the attack. Her foot was surprisingly forceful, sending shudders up Arthur's arms as they absorbed the impact. Arthur lowered his arms, searching for the girl. Suddenly she was underneath him, knocking his legs out from under him with another painful kick. Arthur felt the breath leave his body as he hit the stone floor like a pound of bricks. A weight was on his chest, making it even harder to breath. He looked up blearily to see a tiny fist poised directly over his trachea.

"Sire," that smirk was really starting to make Arthur mad. He glared at her, cursing his own stupidity. _Of course she was the assassin. How could you have been so stupid?! _He struggled to free himself, but the girl strategically placed her light weight in spots that pinned Arthur to the floor as effectively as any chain. _I have to get to Merlin. She's delayed me for too long._

Arthur went still for a moment, conserving all of his energy. Then he surged up, catching the assassin by surprise and knocking her off of him. She landed on her feet a yard or so away, already crouched into another attack position. She narrowed her eyes, the satisfied smirk completely wiped from her face. Although he really wanted to continue to fight her and heal his broken pride of being beaten by a girl (though, he wasn't sure that even if he was capable of defeating her, if beating up the tiny woman would mend his reputation, vicious assassin or not), Arthur had bigger problems to worry about. The girl seemed to understand this. She smiled sweetly as she stepped back. Her distraction should have kept the prince away from her intended target long enough for the foolish boy to drink the poison. Now she had to return and report her success to her employers.

"Goodbye, Sire." The title sounded like a vicious insult to the prince. It certainly didn't hold the same warmth that Merlin's impertinent teases did. The girl turned around and made a dash for the nearest hallway. Again, Arthur watched her go, his lost pride churning in his gut. However, he didn't dwell long on it. He grabbed the door handle, yanking it open, and practically running down the stairs. He didn't care if the guards were hostile or not—he had to stop Merlin from consuming whatever that wicked woman had tried to give him. Luckily, the hearty complaints of Gwaine filled his ears as he rushed down the horribly lengthy flight of stairs from the door to the prison cells.

Elyan was surprised to see the prince in such a hurry. "Sire?" He all but squawked, rising to bow quickly.

Gwaine was still complaining. "Would you believe it? That saucy little serving girl denied _me_, a knight of Camelot, a sip of whatever that ungrateful manservant was getting."

"It was for the prisoner," Percival added with an amused smile. The charming knight's outrage at being brushed off by the serving girl had been one of the funniest things he had seen that day.

"That doesn't mean I don't get some!"

Arthur finally reached the ground level. "Elyan," he addressed the only man who had seemed to notice his presence. "Where's Merlin?"

The knight pointed towards the first cell. "A serving girl came by a few moments ago. It was weird—she already knew where Merlin was, but I've never seen her before. And she had the biggest plate of food I've ever seen for a prisoner. Plus some dark wine, I think, that Gwa—"

Arthur wasn't listening. He was straining to hear any noise from the cell that Merlin was supposedly being held in. Finally, he reached the cell and was relieved to see Merlin was still alive. The boy hadn't noticed him yet; he was too absorbed in staring at the dark liquid inside the silver goblet. Arthur watched in slow motion as the boy shrugged and brought the cup to his lips. The prince lunged forward at the cell, shoving his entire arm through the tight iron bars, and knocking the goblet out of Merlin's hands. The silver cup flew from his grasp, some of the dark liquid spilling out as it spiraled through the air. It collided with the cold, stone wall with a loud clatter. The rest of the poison surged out as if the cup had exploded, splashing both boys slightly with the black liquid. The cup rolled away slowly from the wall, a large dent marring the once perfect goblet. A few drops of the poison dribbled lazily from the smashed rim. Arthur stuck his foot through the bars and gave the plate of food a solid kick. The plate turned over, all of the food spilling out, and Arthur stepped on a few of the deceivingly delicious morsels, just to be safe.

Merlin's expression changed more times that Arthur could count. It morphed from anger, to shock, back to anger, then into a messy cross between worry and shock. Unable to decide how he felt, Merlin settled for a loud "_Arthur!"_

"What?" Arthur was suddenly cross. Now that he had just saved his manservant's life and the boy looked fine, Arthur allowed himself to be a bit grumpy. He was still nursing an injured pride and an injured backside from his fight with the assassin. He decided to take out his bad mood on the manservant.

Merlin was also a bit peeved. "You just can't let me be, can you? That was perhaps the best meal I have seen for a long time. And it was _min_e_!" _The boy crossed his arms, staring mournfully at the squashed roll under Arthur's boot. He looked up at the prince and frowned. "What," Merlin paused to clear his throat, "are you even dong here anyway?" He cleared his throat again.

"I'm saving your pathetic backside," Arthur snapped. "That serving girl was an assassin. The food she gave you was poisonous."

Merlin coughed, eyes growing wide. "What?" he managed to choke out. He glanced at the dented goblet with a tight frown.

"She had stolen some deadly poisons from Gaius a few hours ago. He told me about it before springing me from my room." The prince also frowned as he looked closer at his pale manservant. "Are you alright, Merlin? You don't look so good." Arthur froze. "You didn't eat anything, did you?" he demanded.

The boy gave a shaky smile. "I may have tried a sip of the wine." He coughed again, giving Arthur a terrified look. The boy brought trembling hands to his throat, gasping loudly. The boy's pained, scared eyes met Arthur's equally terrified gaze.

"Merlin!" Arthur watching in horror as the boy's eyes rolled into the back of his head. Merlin's knees buckled, and Arthur reached through the bars, trying to catch his best friend before he hit the ground. However, the boy slipped through Arthur's grasp, collapsing to the cold, hard ground in a motionless heap.

As he watched his friend fall, Arthur was reminded painfully of the peace treaty with Bayard. Like it was back then, there was nothing he could do as his friend began to die on the stone floor.

* * *

**Sir Leon, you scoundrel. Lying to your king. Shame on you. And why does Merlin always end up poisoned at the end of my chapters?!  
(Extra points to you if you know what I'm talking about)  
Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting! I really, REALLY appreciate it :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Merlin, Season Five would be here a lot sooner than 20 days x.X  
**Authors Note: **You guys are awesome! I just found out how to reply to reviews (don't judge me; I'm a natural blonde xD). So, I promise to reply to any reviews you guys write me from now on. Thank you so much for all of the support you guys have given me. Special thanks to **Darkmiror **who went and reviewed like everything I wrote. Thank you so much!

* * *

For a brief moment, no one moved. They just stared at the slightly shuddering Merlin on the floor with wide, terrified eyes. Then everyone broke into motion with loud clatters and shouts. Gwaine was already making his way up the stairs, ready to search for help. Elyan scrambled through his pocket for the keys, and unlocked the cell door with fumbling fingers. The moment the cell door sang its telltale click of being free, Arthur practically ripped the cell door off of its squealing hinges in his haste to get to his poisoned manservant. He collapsed to his knees beside Merlin, pulling the convulsing boy closer to him. Arthur lowered his ear to the boy's chest, trying hard to figure out if the rapid heartbeat was a good thing or not. He listened for a bit longer, wincing at every rattled breath the boy struggled to draw.

"Should we call Gaius?" Gwaine called from the top of the stairs. "He might know what to do."

Arthur shook his head miserably, still not tearing his gaze from his friend. "Gaius said there was no antidote. We'd only alert my father—and then he'd make sure that Merlin died."

It was obvious that Gwaine didn't like that answer. However, he knew the prince spoke the truth. He kicked a nearby water barrel so viciously that the clear liquid sloshed out. Percival, who was being more silent than usual, watched it with a curious look.

"Gaius said there was no antidote?" Elyan asked again.

Arthur shook his head. "No…" He finally looked up from the paling Merlin and glanced around at the worried faces around. "But there _has_ to be a way to save him." The prince's throat was suddenly burning as if he had been the one who had swallowed the poison. "There has to be…" he whispered.

Percival finally looked away from the water barrel. "What if we got him to get rid of the poison?"

Apart from Merlin's labored breaths, there was silence in the prison. Elyan was the first to react.

"Percival! That's brilliant!" He threw himself on the floor next to Arthur and Merlin. "Did Merlin say how much of the poison he drank?"

Arthur frowned. "Just a sip, he said."

A grim smile light up the dark knight's face. "We might be able to save Merlin then." He quickly glanced around the dank prison, searching for things that they would need. "Percival, could you get some water?"

Being mindful of the poisoned goblet, Percival filled up a new cup to the brim and quickly walked it over to the group. He was careful not to spill a drop as if the plain water was the elixir of life.

Without even asking his prince for permission, Elyan pulled the boy towards himself, puckering the manservant's mouth with his own hand. Taking the goblet of water from Percival, he brought the brim to the poisoned boy's blue tinted lips and tilted the liquid inside of his mouth. Merlin's throat recoiled at the rushing water, causing him to choke and gag.

"What are you doing?" Arthur protested.

Elyan tried again, rubbing the boy's throat muscles slightly to coax the water down. After some hesitation, the manservant finally managed to get the liquid down. "If we can get Merlin to drink enough water, it'll possibly dilute the poison. It'll also put something in his stomach so we can, ah, dispel it."

"Dispel?" Arthur blinked.

"It means you'll have to make him throw it up," Gwaine clarified. His time at the tavern had made him somewhat of an expert in the matters of removing toxins from the body in any way possible.

"That'll be the easiest and quickest way to get the poison out," Elyan agreed, looking anywhere but at Arthur.

Arthur regarded the shuddering boy with a frown. He wasn't sure how much longer his manservant had left. If they wanted Elyan's idea to work, they had to act fast. He couldn't dwell on the sheer disgustingness of what they, probably _he_ by the equally repulsed looks on everyone else's faces, were about to do. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the customary chamber pot that was a stationary fixture in every cell. He grabbed the age stained rim, grateful that it had not been recently used, and pulled it towards he and Merlin. No one, not even a dying manservant, was going to "dispel" poisons on _him._ Arthur was a prince, after all.

"If _any_ of you speak a word about this to anyone," Arthur began in a withering tone. Gwaine would have made a joke if it wasn't his best friend whose life was on the line. A sudden hitch in Merlin's breathing brought the prince back to more important matters. Screwing his face into the most disgusted expression, Arthur pried Merlin's mouth open and practically thrust half of his hand in the boy's mouth and down his throat. He drew it back instantly when Merlin's thin frame began to convulse badly again. Arthur pushed his friend's face towards the open chamber pot, trying not to be sick himself. After a few unnaturally loud retches in the nervous silent, the formerly poisoned manservant slid to the ground with an exhausted groan. When his erratic heartbeat and breathing settled into a normal pattern, and he slowly sank into a deep sleep, the other men around him each drew in a relieved breath.

Arthur shed his own emerald cloak and tucked it under the sleeping boy's head. He turned to Elyan and gave him a shaky smile. "I think you missed your calling, Elyan. You should be the next court physician."

The knight accepted the compliment with a slight blush. "Back when I was roaming from place to place, I accidentally ate some poisoned berries. Luckily for me, someone came along who knew what to do."

Now that they were out of the woods, Gwaine's snarky attitude was returning. "Now what do we do, Your Royal Purgeness?"

Arthur gave him a nasty glare, but didn't comment on the new title. "That assassin thinks her job is done. No doubt she'll return to whoever sent her and inform them of Merlin's death. The other assassins should also be dismissed."

"So Merlin's safe for now?"

The future king of Albion pursed his lips. "I still don't know what my father will do. I doubt he'll ever let Merlin out of here. Sooner or later, whoever employed the assassins will figure out what happened and they'll send more after Merlin."

"What are we going to do?" Percival asked softly.

"I plan on doing what I originally planned on doing with Gaius. He's the one who came up with the plan to get me out." Arthur grinned slightly.

"_Gaius?_" Gwaine sputtered, apparently finding this the most surprising thing of the night. "_Gaius_ is behind this?"

"For such an old man, he's surprisingly devious."

Elyan was also having a difficult time comprehending that the court physician was such a mastermind. "Well, what was his plan then?"

"After the assassin 'killed' Merlin, he or she had to take his body back as proof to whoever sent them."

"But—"

"That assassin girl could barely take a punch she was so small. There's no way she'd be able to carry Merlin through a castle and back to who knows where!" Gwaine objected.

_You'd be surprised,_ Arthur thought grimly, resisting the urge to rub at the bruise growing across his backside. "Remember though, only we know what the assassin looked like. My father has no idea who she was. He'll believe that whoever the assassin was, he or she was capable of taking Merlin with him or her. The king wouldn't know that I snuck Merlin out of here."

"Are you sure?" Elyan started slowly. "It just seems that it would look a bit suspicious when he finds out that a person was poisoned and kidnapped while _knights_ of Camelot just stood there. He'd expect some sort of injury on us."

Arthur reached into his pocket, pulling out a small wrapped package. "Gaius thought of that too."

Gwaine took one look at the contents of the package and groaned. "Don't you think we've had enough of _that_ for one night?"

* * *

Before Arthur had even left the boundaries of the lower town, Sir Leon already had the sentries ring the warning bells. Walking as fast as his armor would allow him to, he intercepted the king on the way to his son's room.

"My Lord!" Sir Leon called out. Uther paused in midstride and turned to face one of his most trusted knights.

"Sir Leon. What is going on?"

The knight forced a rueful expression on his face. "It's your son's manservant, Sire"

Uther looked furious for a moment. He resumed his angry march to his son's room, forcing Sir Leon to jog beside him. "Has my son escaped? How could you have le—"

"Forgive me for interrupting, My Lord, but Arthur is still in his room. Gaius gave him something for his sickness, and he has been, ah, sleeping off the effects. Apparently the healing draft…had a bit of a punch to it." Sir Leon could not believe what he was saying at the moment; words were tumbling from his mouth, and he couldn't stop them.

Uther stopped again in the middle of the hallway. "Then what is it?"

"The assassin managed to get into the prison. The assassin," Sir Leon paused, unsure of how to phrase the next part, "completed their assignment."

"Arthur's manservant is dead?" The knight wasn't sure if his ears were playing tricks on him, but he thought the king sounded almost sad. It had always been amusing to the king to hear the idiot's babbling. A part of him would miss that, he felt.

Sir Leon nodded.

"And the guards you posted?"

"Gaius is seeing to them now," the knight answered.

Uther's head bobbed slightly in a stiff nod. "We'll go down there at once." Sir Leon barely had the chance to utter a 'Yes, Sire' before he was rushing after his king again.

As the king and his knight made their way to the dungeons, rumors had already started to spread about the castle's most recent death. Sir Leon heard gruesome story after gruesome story as to how Merlin had reached the end of the road. One particular story that slightly turned Leon's stomach dealt with kitchen shears and braided intestines. The vibrant imaginations of the other castle workers quite frankly appalled the knight.

These stories did not go unheard of by the king. "Do you know how the boy was killed?"

"I…I haven't been down there yet. Gaius will surely be able to tell you though."

Bringing up the name of the court physician again caused Uther to fall silent. He was now realizing how painful it could possibly be for Gaius to perform an autopsy on his ward. Before the true target of the assassins was known, Uther was terrified for his own son's death.

Sir Leon noted the slight lines of guilt that spread across the king's face, but didn't mention anything about it. The knight was grateful when they finally reached the door. He opened the heavy iron door and held it for his king. When Leon finally stepped into the prison, a faint, unidentifiable odor assaulted his senses, and caused him to involuntarily wrinkle his nose. _What is that?_

Uther descended the stairs slowly, stopping when he saw Gaius hovering over an unconscious Elyan.

"What happened to them?" he asked as he glanced from the unconscious knight to a barely lucid Gwaine to an owlish looking Percival.

Gaius straightened up with a bone weary sigh. "The assassin drugged them. It was a mere sleeping draft, however, so they will recover in time."

Uther nodded and proceeded towards the cells. Gaius followed, throwing Sir Leon an undecipherable look. Sir Leon squatted in front of the three men, looking between the two conscious ones, wondering who he'd get a better answer from. Elyan was out of the question since his small frame was still fighting off the draft, but Gwaine had had plenty of practice with mind numbing substances, and the sleeping potion had dissipated quickly through Percival's huge body. However, it was unlikely that Percival was going to say much, and Gwaine looked almost as if he were still drunk from a few days ago.

"What happened?" he whispered to them, hoping one would give him a coherent answer.

Surprisingly, Percival was a bit more prone to chattiness when he was under the influence of questionable substances.

"Merlin drank the poison," he started, his voice still slurring from recently waking up.

"Roylie Pratty and us thought he was going to die," Gwaine added. Sir Leon stared at his friend for a moment, wondering if the man truly was drunk.

"But we made Merlin throw up, so he's okay now."

"Don't tell Siree Leo though," Gwaine chuckled darkly. "Or the Royal Purger will get mad."

Sir Leon had no idea what Gwaine was babbling about, but he was glad that Merlin seemed to be well enough. He was going to ask Percival another question when Uther's call brought him to attention. He stood up slowly and made his way towards his king.

"Where are all of the other prisoners?"

Sir Leon glanced around him at all of the empty cells. Their plan to move Merlin wouldn't have worked if there were witnesses. "They were moved to another location for their own safety. We did not know how determined these assassins were." This answer satisfied the king and he turned back to Gaius, who was crouched over a dented silver goblet.

The knight surveyed Merlin's cell and the crime scene with a nervous twist in his gut. The dented cup and a pool of ominous dark liquid dwelled in one of the corners. In another spot, various pieces of smashed food laid discarded. The cell door had been ripped open with such force that Leon thought it would soon need a new bolt.

"Do you know the cause of his death?" Uther asked softly. Gaius lifted the once poisoned chalice and sniffed the remaining drops inside of it. With a single finger, he picked up a drop, set it on his tongue, and immediately spat it out.

"Merlin was poisoned." He set the goblet gently back on the floor. "This particular potion would have caused instantaneous death in a matter of minutes. Hopefully he would have fallen unconscious before the excruciating pain settled in." The man forced a dull, mourning tone in his voice. To those who didn't know the true story, Gaius was a man who had just lost a son.

"I am sorry for your loss, Gaius," Uther started uncertainly. The court physician watched the king pick his words with barely veiled surprise. Very rarely was the king ever sorry for anything. "I know my son will also be saddened by the news." Gaius nodded slowly. "But you must understand that this was for the best. The future of Camelot was at risk with those assassins out."

"I understand, Sire," Gaius tilted his head. "No single life is more important that the fate of this kingdom. "

The king smiled at his court physician. "I'm glad you see it that way, Gaius." Suddenly a thought struck the ruler of Camelot. "Where is the body?" he asked, turning around to try to find the dead manservant.

"The assassin must have taken it to prove it to their employer that Merlin…is dead."

Uther nodded again, deeming this a perfect reason. "He had been an adequate servant, despite his flaws. Perhaps we will honor him with a funeral." He hesitated again. "I believe Arthur would like that…?" Again, Gaius could see the king feeling slightly guilty for sending the manservant to his imminent doom. The king also felt bad for how he had treated his son. He now realized how much of a betrayal locking up Arthur had been.

"He would, Sire," Gaius tilted his head again. The two men left the prison and went back up the stairs.

"I should visit Arthur now," Uther began. "To tell him that his confinement is now over."

"I wouldn't, Sire," Gaius quickly objected.

The king eyed his doctor suspiciously. "Why not? Is there something I should know, Gaius?"

Gaius lowered his eyes in the perfect image of a subservient servant. "Not at all, Sire. It is just that," he paused, "Arthur has been under quite a bit of stress lately. His sickness, and now after what's happened to Merlin…I fear it may be too much for him. At the moment he is resting, and it'll probably be best if we wait to tell him."

Uther nodded. "I understand. I shall speak to him later then." He started to walk away, and then he stopped, turning back to face the court physician. "I hate to ask…"

Gaius frowned at his king. _Uther's been acting a bit too strange lately. _He forced a curious expression on his face. "Yes, My Lord?"

"Do you happen to know anyone who could be Arthur's replacement manservant? If you are right about my son, he may need more assistance than usual for the next few days."

Gaius smiled thinly at his king. "I know just the person."

* * *

When Merlin woke up, he had the biggest headache imaginable. He turned slightly, groaning as it felt like blades stabbed his cranium. The warlock couldn't remember where he was. When he slowly cracked his eyes, he saw it was dark, and he was outside. Blinking slowly at the dull stars above him, he struggled to figure out _why_ he was suddenly outside.

_Am I on a hunting trip?_

That would explain why his body ached, but it didn't explain the pain in his stomach, the burn in his throat, and his pounding head. Slowly his other senses returned to him. He was completely engulfed by something soft and warm. His fingers twisted idly in the soft cloth, again wondering where he was. He rolled over and nearly cried out at the pain that lanced through his skull. It was so intense that had he had anything in his stomach, he surely would have lost it then and there.

_Ugh… Food. _Thinking about food only made him feel worse, even though he was fairly certain he hadn't eaten in hours. He glanced around at his surroundings, squinting at the burning fire that he had been laid in front of. Someone suddenly dropped a log on the flame, causing the small clearing they were in to be illuminated. As Merlin's aching head tried to cope with the sudden bright light, he could see two oblong shadows moving. His eyes drifted close again as an inescapable wave of exhaustion flooded through his mind and body.

Voices sounded around him, forcing him to pry his tired eyes open again. One of the shadows finally took the shape of a certain arrogant prince. Merlin tried to match the other voice, but his brain was moving too sluggishly to work right. He knew the speaker was familiar—_hopefully a friend, too—_but he just couldn't place it.

When it became too hard to remain conscious, Merlin decided that it _had_ to be a friend_, else why would Arthur be with them…?_ He closed his eyes and blissfully fell back into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading! :D Sorry if Uther or anyone is a bit OOC o.O I suppose you'll see why soon.  
(Psssst... Does anyone have any good ideas for a cover for this story...? I really love covers :3)**


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